Tales of Zestiria Review Summary

Engaging and enjoyable combat system: The combat system is widely praised for being fun, engaging, and dynamic. Players find it intuitive yet challenging, with a good mix of simplicity and depth.

Excellent soundtrack and voice acting: The soundtrack is praised for being strong, memorable, and excellent. Voice acting, particularly in Japanese, is noted for its high quality.

Compelling and engaging story: The story is noted for being interesting, well-crafted, and engaging. It captures players' attention and is considered one of the game's strong points.

Well-developed and charismatic characters: Characters are highlighted for their interesting roles, enjoyable interactions, and charismatic personalities. They add depth and humor to the game.

High replayability and enjoyable gameplay: The game offers high replayability with enjoyable gameplay mechanics. Players find it fun to replay and explore different aspects of the game.

Combat system issues: The combat system is criticized for being clunky, confusing, and unfair. Reviewers found it frustrating, unenjoyable, and lacking polish, with stiff mechanics and button-mashing gameplay.

Game feels unfinished: The game is often described as half-finished and rushed, with troubled development leading to narrative and character issues. The DLC is criticized for its lack of quality and content.

Poor AI and dialogue: The AI is described as very bad and inefficient, with poor behavior. The dialogue is also criticized for being boring and slow.

Complex equipment system: The equipment system is described as confusing, complex, and convoluted. Reviewers found it poorly implemented and requiring excessive grinding.

Not a standout Tales game: The game is considered disappointing and not among the best Tales of games. Reviewers found it sluggish compared to other entries in the series and not recommended due to its length and quality issues.

Rich and complex combat system: The game features a rich and complex combat system that is both straightforward and challenging. It includes various combinations of skills and techniques, making it enjoyable for some players while being a love-it-or-hate-it feature for others.

Equipment fusion and upgrade systems: The game features an equipment fusion and upgrade system, allowing players to customize and improve their equipment. This system is noted for its complexity and depth.

Character switching and customization: The game includes features for character switching and customization, allowing players to develop and customize their characters in real-time battles.

Improved and engaging story: The game's story is noted for being less convoluted and more engaging, with interesting character roles and backgrounds. The simpler story can be appealing to players.

Large open world for exploration: The game offers a large map for exploration, featuring open fields, dungeons, and settlements. It includes clear indicators of restricted areas and a variety of weapons and upgrade systems.

Frequent crashes: The game is reported to crash frequently, including on startup and during map transitions.

Optimization issues: Players have noted poor optimization and performance issues, though some have found the port to be well-optimized.

Mods required for proper functionality: The game is criticized for requiring mods and fixes to run properly, including mods for achieving 60 FPS.

Graphical and sound glitches: There are reports of various graphical glitches, including flickering textures and sound issues.

Controller support issues: There are issues with controller support, including frequent problems with input and responsiveness.

Play Berseria first: Many reviewers suggest playing 'Tales of Berseria' before this game for a better narrative experience and overall enjoyment.

Recommended for JRPG fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of the 'Tales' series and JRPG genre who appreciate its unique combat system and fantasy worldview.

Wait for a sale: Several reviewers suggest waiting for a sale or promotion before purchasing the game due to its flaws.

Not for beginners: The game is not recommended for beginners to the 'Tales of' series. Starting with a different game in the series might be better for newcomers.

Watch the anime: Some reviewers suggest watching the anime for the story instead of playing the game.

Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 68.0h.

Story completion: 50.0h.

Session length: 5.0h.

Endgame: 20.0h.

The game has a slow and confusing start due to complex systems and inadequate tutorials, but it becomes more enjoyable once players overcome the initial learning curve.

Reported time to anchor: 5h.

Completionist Grinder: Grinding and repetitive tasks to achieve 100% completion. Motivation: Achievement completion and maximizing in-game progress. Stance: sale.

Franchise Fan: Story-focused with an appreciation for character development and lore. Motivation: Enjoyment of the 'Tales of' series and its lore. Stance: sale.

Story-First Newcomer: Story-focused with a willingness to learn new gameplay mechanics. Motivation: Engaging story and introduction to the JRPG genre. Stance: deep sale.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience of this game reveals several significant technical barriers. The most prominent issues include the game being capped at 30 FPS, frequent crashes, the necessity of using mods to improve performance, and poor controller support. These issues collectively contribute to a less than optimal gaming experience, requiring users to engage in additional troubleshooting and modifications to enjoy the game.

Monetization: The game has been criticized for its monetization practices, particularly the requirement to purchase additional DLC to achieve 100% completion. This includes necessary story content and accessories that were presumably cut from the main game to be sold separately. These practices have led to significant player frustration and a negative perception of the game's monetization strategy.

Mod reliance: The game has notable issues with launching and performance on PC, often requiring a fan patch to run properly or enhance gameplay. While some users experience crashes, the game is generally considered playable with community fixes.

External guides: The primary issues highlighted by users revolve around significant technical problems, including frequent crashes and controller issues, which severely impact the gaming experience. Additionally, there are complaints about non-intuitive game mechanics that necessitate the use of external guides for progression.